Intel & ESL’s $100 Million Investment Into Esports

Longtime partners ESL and Intel jointly held an announcement stating their latest plan to invest $100 million to Esports in hopes to accelerate its growth. After 18 years, this partnership is the longest standing in all of esports.

According to Game Daily, “this bounty is earmarked for ESL’s live circuits, like the CS:Go Pro League; events like the recent Intel Grand Slam, which carried a top prize of $1,000,000; and introducing esports to new regions worldwide, including the Asia-Pacific area.”

Under this deal, Intel will be providing multiple types of technology such as its high powered computer processors and 5G for future esports events through 2021. It will also be working alongside its partner (ESL) in aiding them to host future events as well.

John Bonini, Intel’s vice president and general manager of virtual reality, gaming, and esports, told CNBC the company is “very proud to have been a key part in growing esports. “The partnership creates more long-term, sustainable paths in the industry,” he said.

“For a really long period of time, there were a lot of one-year deals, sometimes two-year deals, in esports,” he said. “Now other big brands and traditional entertainment companies have started to invest, and it’s allowed us to have an approach and strategy that’s pretty identical to traditional sports entertainment,” Cohen said to CNBC.

With this promising partnership, it can be safe to say that it will undoubtedly advance the evolution of esports with the technology Intel has and the creativity ESL hones. If more companies and entrepreneurs start investing in Esports, we might just see it be on television one day and even the Olympics. Till then, what can parents say to their kids who play a lot of video games?